


Gangsters and Descendants

by joe_mama



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Amy Santiago, Hurt Jake Peralta, Whump, i dont wanna spoil anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23657239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joe_mama/pseuds/joe_mama
Summary: Jake goes undercover --again-- only for Amy to receive a call four days later that he's dead.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 18
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

Soft morning light filtered through the blinds, filling the quiet bedroom and forcing Jake to open his eyes and wince as a ray of sunlight attacked at his eyes. He turned around and buried his face into the pillow. Amy shifted from beside him, and Jake felt the mattress dip as she got off the bed.

He was preparing himself to get up when his phone started ringing and vibrating on the wooden bedside table. With a groan, he rolled over and answered it.

“Hello?” He asked into the phone, resting back into the bed and closing his eyes. 

“Is Jake Peralta-Santiago speaking?” A woman on the other side asked. Jake nodded before realizing she woman couldn’t see him. He really should sleep more.

“Yup.”

“We need you down at the 99th precinct, it’s urgent.”

At that, Jake sat up, brows stitched together. “What is it?” He asked wearily.

“We cannot speak of it over the phone. We’ll be waiting in Captain Holt’s office.”

A short beep indicated the woman had hung up. Jake looked down at his phone in confusion. 

“Who was that?” Amy asked curiously from the bathroom. She peeked through the door, toothbrush hanging from her mouth. Jake shrugged, quickly getting to his feet.

“I don’t know, all she said was that I have to get to the precinct and that it’s an emergency.”

Amy tilted her head and turned to the mirror. “Weird.”

* * *

“I’m here,” Jake breathed out, resting his hands on his knees as he closed the door behind him. Holt was sitting at his desk, face neutral and hands resting on his desk. A woman with short, red hair and a man with dark skin and a buzzcut stood on either side. They both wore suits and were looking at him with nervous expressions.

“Peralta,” Holt said. “Take a seat.” He signaled to the chairs in front of his desk. Jake sat down, glancing at the strangers warily.

“Well, as you may know, Detective Peralta, we called you here for a very important reason,” the woman started. “My name is Diana Reeds, and this is my partner, David Hall. We work with the FBI, and we were thinking about recruiting you as an undercover agent to infiltrate the Cruz family mob. They’ve been on the run for almost ten years now, and we think they’re trafficking kids and teenagers.”

Jake’s stomach flipped. “Oh,” was all he managed to say. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Again?”

“Yes,” the man said. “We were very impressed with your work a few years back and the entire process went smoothly, so, we thought you might be of help.”

Jake bit the inside of his cheek, mind racing. “I’ll do it,” he finally heard himself say, even though he wasn’t completely sure himself. After all, he had nothing to lose the first time he went undercover. Now, he had a wife and was trying to have a kid.

_ Part of the job _ , he thought reluctantly.

“Great! Let’s go,” the man said.

“Wait, wait, we’re going  _ now _ ?!” Jake asked, standing up from his chair in disbelief. The two agents looked at him, twisting their faces in confusion.

“When were you planning on leaving?” The woman asked, an edge of impatience in her voice. Jake opened his mouth, but couldn’t find his voice. “Come on, Peralta, let’s go.”

* * *

**_(Four days later)_ **

Amy was making dinner --for herself only because Jake was still nowhere to be found and it had been four days since she’d last seen him-- when she received the call. Her hopes rose in a split second, not wanting to look down at the caller ID so she wouldn’t be let down if it wasn’t him. She hated it, but a part of her knew it wouldn’t be him, after all, why would he disappear for four days and then call her? Instead of going straight home?

She sighed when she saw the blocky words that read “Unknown Caller” on the screen. With a sigh, she accepted the call and pressed the phone against her ear.

“Amy Santiago speaking,” she said.

“Hello, Mrs. Peralta, I’m calling from the New York Community Hospital, and I’m very sorry to inform you that your husband has passed away several hours ago.”


	2. Chapter 2

(One day prior)

Jake stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest. One of the bodyguards beside him nodded towards a door at the end of the hall.

“Right behind that door,” he declared, looking around to make sure no one had followed them. Jake nodded and walked down the dark hallway. The door was wide open, revealing a middle-aged man sitting at a luxurious, wooden desk. The man was looking down, writing on what seemed to be a checklist. Jake cleared his throat, and the man’s head shot up. He had tan, slightly wrinkled skin with a few small scars littered across his face and neck. He had icy blue eyes and black hair.

“You must be Jack,” he rasped out, standing up. His grin revealed yellow, crooked teeth. He walked around his desk and shook Jake’s hand. “You already know me, but I always feel the need to introduce myself to every new recruit. I’m Antonio Cruz,” he said with a thick Spanish accent. “You can call me Tony, it’s a bit easier for you Yankees,” he said with a bark of laughter. Jake chuckled.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” he said politely. Tony scoffed and waved a dismissive hand.

“Please, don’t call me sir, no need to be so formal. Besides, it makes me feel older than I am!”

“Tony it is, then.”

Tony suddenly placed his hands on Jake’s shoulders and looked him up and down, making Jake awkwardly shift in his place.

“Don’t worry, ni ño, I’m just seeing what you could be used for in the family, understand? If you’re a big brute, you could be a bodyguard , if your small and quick you could be a seller, all that stuff. If you’re useful for nothing, we kill you.”

Jake choked on air, staring down at the shorter man in shock. Tony laughed and clapped the back of Jake’s back, slowly leading him out of the office.

“I’m just kidding, if you’re useless to us, we’ll banish you. But, if you’re caught back on our territory, we won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on you.”

“Cool,” Jake muttered under his breath. “Cool, cool, cool, cool.”

“You ready?” Tony asked. Jake frowned in confusion. “For the test, boy! To see if you’re really serious about joining.”

Jake laughed awkwardly. “What am I supposed to do in this test?”

“You just have to kill this random kid.”

Jake froze in his place, heart sinking to his stomach. Face pale, he caught up with the older man. “There’s no need for that, now is there?” He chuckled. Tony paused and turned to him, a hostile fire burning in his blue-grey eyes.

“If you aren’t willing to do this, you can leave, Wilson,” he snarled. Jake bit down on his bottom lip.

“I am,” he said. “I, just- I’ve never killed anybody… Isn’t there some other test?” He knew that turning down the test would probably ruin any chance of getting deeper in the mob but there was no way he was killing anybody. Tony squinted.

“There is an alternative,” he said after some thought. “But it’s more dangerous. For you, at least.”

Jake nodded. Anything would be better than murder.

Right?

* * *

“Ready?” Tony asked. Jake barely made out a glint of excitement in his eyes. Jake nodded and turned to face the three huge bodyguards. He squinted as the afternoon sun shone in his face.

The rules were simple. The bodyguards would pretend to be men from an enemy mob and they’d try to attack Tony. Jake would try to fight them. Clearly, they were pulling on his leg. There was no way he could even land a punch on one of these broad-shouldered, muscled brutes. One of them cracked his knuckles and the other flashed Jake a malicious grin.

“You may begin,” Tony spoke. 

Immediately, the brutes sped towards Jake.

_ Ok, Jake, if you just defend and don’t take any hits, you’ll be fine _ .

Mind racing and legs shaking, he dodged a fist that was swung his way. He turned to Tony and started rushing him towards the entrance of the warehouse they were near.

“Hide,” he ordered. Tony rushed inside and peeked his head through the entrance to watch. 

Before he could react, something hard collided against the side of his head. He stumbled to the side, clutching his head as his vision warped. Another fist hit him in the side of his ribcage, toppling him over onto the cement. He grunted as the tip of a boot slammed into his stomach. Instinctively, he curled up into a ball and protected his face and neck from the endless hits that were attacking him from all over.

There was a pause, probably the men catching their breaths, and Jake took the opportunity. He scrambled to his feet and punched the first guy he saw right in the jaw. He rolled his wrist around, ignoring as his knuckles ached from the strength of the hit. The two others tried to grab his arms but he sneaked past them, ducking under their outstretched arms.

Usually, he would’ve fawned over how cool and quick he was being, but the ache in his head and chest was the only thing on his mind. His probably cracked ribs shifted against his lungs with every movement, making him bite his tongue as not to let out a pathetic whimper.

He took a couple more hits, his movements growling slow and sluggish with every second that passed. He punched one guy in the stomach before the man slammed his head against Jake’s.

And with that, he was out _cold_. 


	3. Chapter 3

Amy felt her heart plunge. It was almost instant, her reaction. One moment she was standing next to the stove, jaw-dropped and muscles frozen, and the next she was clutching onto the counter so she wouldn’t collapse, throat clogged and vision blurry. She wasn’t even listening to the nurse’s voice anymore, but she caught a few phrases like “car accident” and “-did the best we could”.

Amy’s phone slipped out of her trembling fingers as she let herself slide down to the floor. A fresh batch of tears escaped with every blink, but she was silent. The call ended. Amy shoved her hands over her mouth, biting down just enough to draw a little blood. She finally took in a shaky breath, only for it to be wasted on a shaky sob, muffled by her hands.

She heaved in a somewhat steady breath and cried into her palms. Shaking her head in disbelief, she leaned against the wood of the kitchen island. 

_ No, no, no, no, God no _ .

* * *

Soon, Terry, Charles, and Rosa piled into the apartment, sharing wordless hugs and broken smiles. Even Gina, who always seemed to have a full schedule, canceled her hundreds of plans to get together with her old friends and mourn for her childhood best friend.

Rosa’s eyes were clouded with unshed tears and her hand remained over her mouth at all times, as if a cry would escape if she moved her palm. Gina was silently crying onto Terry’s shoulder, whose eyes were empty of tears but full of such a sorrowful expression that it physically hurt Amy to look at him. Charles, on the other hand, he was full on breaking down to his core. Of course, almost everyone in the room had known Jake for the same amount of time, but on top of his sudden death, Charles was always very emotional and open about his feelings.

His quiet, suppressed sobs were the only sound in the room, and Amy hated it.

She hated the way everyone would look at her as if a gaze too harsh would break her even though she was already more destroyed than she ever thought imaginable.

She hated the silence that hung thick in the air.

She wanted to speak but she couldn’t seem to find her voice. Maybe the rest felt the same way.

The tears cascading down her cheeks didn’t falter, not when Holt arrived with food for everyone, not when Rosa quietly said she had to leave, not when she was left alone in her apartment again.  Terry had offered for her to stay over at his place for the night, but she denied. She needed some time to clear her head.

She didn’t sleep much that night, without the recurring thought that  _ he should be next to me right now  _ plastering itself into her mind. She’d turn around so her back was facing Jake’s side and pray with everything she had that she she’d turn around he’d be there, scrolling through his phone like he would every night, even though she’d tell him not to because the blue light was bad for his eyes. But he wasn’t there, of course.

She didn’t want to sleep, anyway. She didn’t want to wake up the next morning and feel a wave of relief flood over her, thinking it was all a nightmare only to be let down when her husband wasn’t next to her.

Holt had told the squad they could have as much time off as they needed, but Amy, for the first time in her life, didn’t want to go back. Because going back to the precinct meant going back to the evidence locker, where Jake and her had shared their first kiss and where he’d proposed. Going back to the precinct meant going back to her desk, right in front of Jake’s.

Going back to her desk meant having to stare at his desk all day, every dumb action figure and toy car, every old sticker littered around his workspace, every memory of him.

She hadn’t even noticed she had started crying again. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to put on one of his shirts tonight. With every raspy inhale, his scent would overflood her senses, making her face contort in excruciating grief. 

God, any physical pain she could go through was no match against the unknown, absolutely devastating feeling that shredded her soul into pieces and made her lose hope of ever putting the pieces back together.

She definitely wasn’t sleeping tonight.

* * *

Jake jolted awake as his new phone started ringing from the floor. He shifted on the scratchy couch, hissing in pain as he reached over to grab the small device. He let he pain in his chest ebb a bit before answering. 

“Jack Wilson speaking,” he muttered, hating his new name with every fiber in his body.

“It’s David. David Hall?”

Jake hummed in confusion, trying to search for the name through his foggy mind.

“FBI?”

Finally, the prices clicked together. “Oh,” he said. “Hi.”

“Er, hi,” David replied awkwardly.

“Sorry, I’m pretty sure I have a concussion,” Jake stated. 

“Well, I have good news and bad news, which do you want first?” David asked, dismissing the awkwardness in a heartbeat.

“Good.”

“Alright, step one is a success, and we’re sending another mole to help you. We’ll be calling her Amber from now on, you’ll meet her tomorrow,” David explained. Jake nodded.

“And the bad news?” He asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. David paused for a moment.

“Well,” he finally said. “You’re dead.”

Jake sat up, ignoring his ribs as they protested and ached at the sudden movement. “What..?”

David took a quick breath. “Yeah… We faked your death.”


	4. Chapter 4

Jake’s muscles seemed to lock in place, and the constant pain all over his body stopped for a quick moment, as if it too was shocked by David’s words.

His concussed mind travelled over to the precinct, to his friends, his  _ family _ . To Terry and Holt and Rosa and Charles and Gina and-

Oh, God, Amy.

“Jack?” David asked tentatively. “You there?”

“Who knows? The truth?” Jake spat out, his shock swiftly replaced by rage.

“Only the people working on the case,” David replied. “Except your Captain.”

“Did you know those people are practically my family? Did you know I have a  _ wife _ ? Why can’t they know?!” Jake’s voice was knitted with the same frustration bubbling in his chest. David sighed.

“Look, Jack, I’m sorry but this is a very important case. We can’t risk anyone knowing the truth.”

Jake bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from going full-blown curse-mode. “Whose body are they going to bury? Huh? Did you think about that? Did you think about anyone’s feelings?!” He practically snarled.

“Jack, this operation is much more important that your friend’s and wife’s feelings. By how well your working, you’ll be back home before the funeral would even start being planned. I’m sorry.”

Jake hung up, leaving his thumb slightly sore from pressing it onto the screen with such force. He ran his fingers through his damp hair, staring down a his phone.

He wanted to call Amy, tell her he was ok, he was  _ alive _ . He couldn’t imagine the pain she must’ve been going through, and he despised not being there to help her.

But he knew calling her would make David really mad and probably take him off the case, which wasn’t ideal, either. He didn’t want his beating to go to waste. So, he reluctantly pushed the phone away and painfully laid back down, resting his forearm over his head.

The next few days dragged into what felt like lonely, endless months for Jake. Amber was nice, she was a few years younger and had long red hair she held up in a ponytail most of the time. She knew what she was doing. Thanks to her the operation was moving smoothly and quickly. Jake was still sort of dazed at the revelation that everyone he knows thinks he’s dead. He wasn’t useless, though. Since he had been accepted into the family before Amber had, he had a bit more trust with the others, especially with Tony.

The man was still on edge after Jake refused to kill someone for his test, but Jake could tell he was growing on the mob boss.

“What can I say? Everyone likes me,” he had told Amber after a day of meeting up with drug sellers and making deals. She had scoffed and rolled her eyes, lips curved up into a friendly smile.

They were both in their different rooms in the small apartment they were staying at when they received a call on the landline.

They met in the in the kitchen, and with a silent conversation, Jake answered.

“Jack Wilson speaking,” he said, leaning against the counter. Amber looked at him quizzically. 

“Wilson, we need you and the girl,” a voice ordered. Jake tilted his head.

“Who is this?” 

“Doesn’t matter, meet us at the warehouse where you two completed your tests.”

_ Ok, it’s someone from the family _ , he thought. Amber was staring at him expectantly. 

“Uh, see you in ten,” he said quickly, hanging up before turning over to look at Amber with a childlike grin on his face. Her thin eyebrows knitted together.

“Shit’s going down.”

* * *

“Everyone, there’s a drug bust going down at the abandoned warehouse near 66th.” Holt’s voice rang loudly in the unusually quiet precinct. Terry, Rosa, and Amy had gone back to work, thinking if they did, it would help get their minds off of Jake for a while. Charles and Gina were taking a few more days off, and Scully and Hitchcock had only missed a day, claiming that “we need to be together to get through this”. 

Amy was immediately on her feet, rushing to the armory to get her gun and vest. Terry and Rosa glanced at each other and followed the widow.

The warehouse was eerily silent when they arrived with the swat team. Amy held her gun up as she stalked towards the back door. Two swat officers walked beside her, and Rosa stayed outside by the door, just in case.

Everything happened so quickly, Amy barely had the time to react. First, the unmistakable sound of gunshots rang through the still air and flew past her. One of the two swat officer stood in front of Amy, blocking them both from the bullets speeding past.

The rest of the nine-nine and swat team ran inside, shooting back and somehow avoiding the incoming bullets. A group of people moved from behind a rotting wooden wall, peeking over to shoot at the officers every few seconds. 

Then, as quick as it started, it was over. The space went silent for a split second before several uniformed officers ran forward.

“NYPD, put the weapons down,” one ordered, gun threatening to shoot as a middle-aged man stood from his hiding place. He had blue-grey eyes that gleamed with rage under the dim lights. Glaring at the officers, he tossed his small gun to the floor on front of him. The rest did the same, standing and looking around with malicious smiles on their faces.

“I knew it,” Amy heard the first man mutter. “Boys!” He called, glare never faltering.

Then, two men walked through the door nearest the gangsters, dragging two others along with them. Amy squinted to see their faces, but only managed to see a red-haired girl, frantically looking at the officers as the man holding her jabbed a gun against her temple. The other person was also being held at gunpoint, but their face was hidden under the shadows that dragged across the warehouse.

The first man spoke calmly. “I know these two are your officers. I’ve known the second they stepped foot into my office. The way they refused to kill anyone, the way they seem so uncomfortable when I say their names-- their fake names, it’s clear as day. I only came here because I knew you’d track the call and bring your officers. I may be old, but I am  _ not _ stupid. Now, because of your stupid actions, you’ll have to watch your officers  _ die _ .”

Amy’s blood went cold. She looked over at the officers pointing their guns at the men holding the undercover cops. Their faces betrayed how clearly frightened they were.

Finally, the two mobsters slowly stepped into the middle of the area, the moonlight revealing the other cop’s face.

Her knees immediately went weak, but she stayed on her feet. Just as quick as she’d broken down when she got the call from the hospital, tears pricked at her eyes. She prayed and hoped that this wasn’t a dream because the cop was  _ Jake _ .


	5. Chapter 5

If she wasn’t in the middle of taking down a mob, she would’ve burst into tears. Tears of relief and joy and maybe a bit of anger because she had to falsely grieve for nearly an entire week. She gripped her hun tighter, forcing her eyes to tear away from her husband and up to the man holding him at gunpoint. Jake squirmed in an attempt to free himself but every movement was accompanied by a wince of pain.

“If you kill two officers,” Holt said calmly, as usual. “You’ll be in for a lot longer, so, I’d recommend you put the weapon down.”

Ah, the classic. It barely worked most of the time but it was always worth the try. Holt’s face was ever so slightly contorted with worry at the sight of the man he’d grown to see as a son have a gun pressed against his temple. Some of the mobsters glanced at each other.

Worry settled in Amy’s gut, quickly replaced by determination. She was not mourning twice.

Her eyes quickly scanned over the inside. There were few windows and most of them were shattered. They were big enough for someone to crawl through and not high enough to make it difficult to. She turned to the door she’d come in through. Rosa was still on the outside, looking around to make sure they weren’t raided by more gangsters. Amy looked over to one of the swat officers and nodded, a silent conversation occurring with a single look.

She slowly retreated to the door, making sure not to move too quickly.

“What are you doing?” Rosa asked quietly when Amy had made it outside. 

“I have a plan, but you have to trust me.”

* * *

Jake’s still bruised ribs flared with aching pain every time he’d try to writhe free from his trapper’s grasp. The man --Jeremy, he’d learnt his name was-- wrapped a strong arm around his neck and pulled back, sealing Jake’s throat shut in a heartbeat.

He saw Holt clench his jaw and shift on his feet.

Jake’s eyes trailed around the warehouse, stopping when they landed on a familiar black ponytail, sneaking out through the back door.

_ Ames _ .

He held back a grimace as the barrel of the gun was pressed harder against his skull. Black dots floated across his peripheral vision, and he’d stopped trying to gasp for air.

“We’re already gonna be thrown in jail for the long run, anyway,” Jeremy snarled. “Two more people won’t change that.”

Jake saw, out of the corner of his eye, Amber bite down on her lip and squeeze her eyes shut. He slightly turned his head. She was practically vibrating with fear. She opened her eyes and looked over at him, childlike terror clear in her brown eyes. They stared up at him pleading for a savior.

He looked over to where he’d seen Amy run off to. She was nowhere in sight.

“Alright, but you don’t have to do this,” a swat officer said, voice level. It seemed distant, as if Jake were underwater and the sound of his own heartbeat rang loudly in his head.

Right before anyone could speak, or Jake could pass out, a gunshot echoed through the air, and Tony collapsed, grasping onto an open wound on his leg. The others scrambled towards their boss, frantically trying to get him to stand or putting pressure on the bleeding wound. 

“Retreat, damn it!” Tony screamed, shoving away the people trying to help him. “Get out of here!”

Some uniformed officers ran for the mobsters who had followed Tony’s orders. SInce the only two entrances were blocked by cops, they ran to the few windows in the warehouse. 

The black dots turned to smudges of darkness in Jake’s vision, not letting him see what was going on. The arm around his throat released him, letting him collapse onto the cement, choking and gulping down air.

He looked up and saw Amy and Rosa guarding one of the windows and some swat officers littered in front of the other ones.

Finally, after the mobsters were all cuffed and were starting to be led to the cars, Amy turned around, eyes darting all over the place before freezing over Jake, who was still on his hands and knees. She was there in an instant, kneeling down next to him and cupping his cheeks, ignoring as tears raced down her cheeks and met at her chin. Jake shifted into a sitting position and pulled her into his embrace. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt.

“Shh, it’s ok, Ames, I’m ok,” Jake whispered, pressing gentle kisses into her hair. Although it had seemed like she wasn't ever planning on letting go, she was the one to pull away.

“I missed you,” she whispered, resting her forehead against his shoulder. Jake sighed.

“I missed you, too… I’m sorry you had to go through what you did,” he said softly, placing his chin on the top of her head. She let out a humorless chuckle.

“Yeah, it kinda’ sucked,” she murmured. Jake cupped her cheeks.

“I love you,” he said, eyes full of loyalty and trust and so much love. His thumbs wiped away her tears like windshield wipers on a rainy day. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I missed our forehead smooches,” he whispered. Amy smiled.

“I love you too.”

Jake’s smile widened and he leaned down and closed the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yayy final chapter! thank u guys for all the love!
> 
> (random note nobody asked for: i was watching glee while writing this)

**Author's Note:**

> i love myself a good cliffhanger >:)


End file.
